Blog 2 - virtual learning communities

The increase in computer mediated communication (CMC) and virtual communities have changed and are still changing the societies we live in and how we gather information and knowledge. Renninger and Shumar discuss how CMCs and virtual communities reinforce the reflexive modernization theory. One way is how individuals use their experiences to guide and advise others, often on difficult topics such as health, which in the past was saved for the medical professional, through the internet. Another is through the explosion of information found on the internet, people are beginning to question authority more now than in the past. People in positions of authority are no longer just accepted as a part of their position but instead are required to earn the respect of the position.
Renninger and Shumar discuss a few examples of information seeking communities, or discussion groups. The first example is a parenting group where individuals can discuss issues they are facing and ask for advice or give advice when needed. The information or advice given can be from personal experience, some without scientific background. This information may be accurate and based on experience or evidence, or it may be an “old wives tale” that may cause more harm than good.
Information shared in this manner can increase anxiety when the advice given conflicts with what the individual has experienced or has been advised by a care provider. This anxiety-producing environment can also be seen in the example given on the MMR “jab”. The people reading the posts are getting multiple opinions and viewpoints on the vaccination subject; so much so, that the information can become confusing and anxiety producing.
The upside of the CMCs and virtual communities is the amount of information available and the ease and convenience of receiving or providing information through virtual communities and CMCs; as with the online classes offered by many universities. The online learning communities or classes provide an education opportunity to many who would have difficulty attending a class physically. In addition to the convenience, the virtual communities and CMCs also allow time for reflection on topics and possibly more student interaction.
Technology can support knowledge-building communities by providing access to people who share the common interest or desire to learn or gain knowledge in a specific field. In addition to providing access to people, technology also provides access to needed tools and activities for gaining knowledge. Renninger and Shumar mentioned in chapter 12 that the three elements mentioned above, people, tools and activities, are interdependent. One cannot be altered without affecting the others. This is good to remember when building VLC's, because as tools, activities or people are added or removed, the environment, motivation, or membership may change.

In another class I am currently taking, I am planning/designing a type of a virtual learning community; this community will be for a specific population of nursing students in a specific clinical class. After reading chapter 10, I have learned that there will be phases during the lifespan of the class; the phases that Renninger and Shumar mention include:
1) the proposal stage 2) the refinement stage 3) the organizational stage 4) the pursuit stage 5) the wrap-up stage and 6) the publication stage. The proposal stage and refinement stages will be completed before bringing students into the VLC. Once the students enter, the organizational stage will begin with providing information to the members, defining roles, and describing the activities that will be required. The pursuit stage will take place as the students participate in the discussion groups following the clinical education experience. The wrap-up stage will come toward the end of the semester as the students are completing the clinical experience, during this time, the students will also complete an evaluation of the experience to assist with the next class. At the present time, there is no plan for the publication phase, but hey, who knows, there is a need for studies on online format clinical postconferences.
The clinical setting is an ideal area to use the cognitive apprenticeship theory as a framework since it is a learning experience that the student must learn thinking skills that can be applied in different contexts; therefore, it would be a good framework to base the online clinical postconference VLC. Using the principles of content, method, sequencing, and sociology, mentioned in Collins, Brown, and Holum’s article, Cognitive Apprenticeship: Making Thinking Visible, the VLC will use the knowledge gained in the classroom prior to the clinical experience as a base knowledge to build on during clinicals. By using discussion boards beginning with some guiding questions following the clinical experience, the student will have time to reflect on the clinical experience, respond to the discussion and reply to other students in the VLC. As the students continue through the class, the instructor will post less, and toward the end of the class will mainly be a support/mediator of the discussions. By using the discussion boards and reading and responding to fellow classmates as they post their reactions and issues to the clinical experience, other students will be able to take that information and apply it to their situation, allowing them to learn to think critically in the clinical setting.